"Not sure I know when the first raids were. Sometime in the spring--early on. They started with the obvious places--places where components might be. Shops mostly. People with...reputations, like Madame Moulot. Collectors. Rich folk--not that there are a lot of those south of The Commons. All executed by Goblins and their like, or so I've heard. But who is behind it, who knows, and what's being done with it either."  

Haldeen pauses, and you get the impression she isn't sure how to broach the next part. 

"Our first raid was in the early spring because of Madame Moulot's collection. No one knows how she did it-but she had some things that unlicensed folk aren't allowed to have, like crystals, bits of ivory, that kind of thing. This great round polished crystal that glowed blue--the goblins were ecstatic over that one! Madame was very upset. She refused to leave her quarters and we had to run the restaurant without her--have been ever since. 

The next raid didn't give them anything to show for especially since they didn't bother taking the incense. We think that that's the reason the raids have started in other places like farms and such. I guess they figure that if they can move components from one place to another, so can regular folks."

“Goblins,” Effulgyn repeats, absently. ‘I’m now feeling less guilty about our incursion into that goblin hole last night,’ the halfling thinks, and then a question comes to mind.

”Heldeen, does anyone know where they come from? Has anyone tried to stop them?”

Ferg listens and adds to Effulgyns questions:  "Yes, where did they come from ... also you mention the polished crystal that glowed blue.  Did the goblins get away with those crystals?  Or did Madame Moulot successfully hide them from the goblins?  Do we know if they are finding this glowing blue crystal in other places?"  Ferg thinks for another moment "And the incense doesn't interest them right?  They seemed only and especially interested in the blue crystal?"  Ferg pauses and waits for answers.

Looking at Effulgyn and hugging the pillow closer, Haldeen explains that the black market has existed for as long as she has known and has always involved Goblins, as far as she knew, or at the very least, their tunnels. (With your earlier History checks, you know that Stoacia had lots of Goblins before Pun came so it would make sense that there be a network of tunnels below ground here. )

"I always kind of saw it as small scale though--like, to support the Madame Moulot's of the world who can't get the things she needs elsewhere. You know, a gem goes missing from a shipment from the mines to The Commons, ends up in a collection somewhere, or in a shop for a fair price. That sort of thing. But something must have happened in recent times to disrupt things--never has it been this out in the open and so...violent either." she shudders. 

After a pause she realizes she hasn't answered any of the other questions so continues on.

"Some folks have tried to stop them, yeah, of course. It's gotten violent more than once. I think reports have started to make their way up to The Commons too, by way of The Guard, but I'm not sure on that one. Not many people would be willing to admit they had illegal things in their possession in the first place--that's why Madame didn't report when her things were taken. That crystal orb, for instance," she says, addressing Ferg. "Her bones and cards and things." 

Quote from Laserwhit >>

Ferg listens and adds to Effulgyns questions:  "Yes, where did they come from ... also you mention the polished crystal that glowed blue.  Did the goblins get away with those crystals?  Or did Madame Moulot successfully hide them from the goblins?  Do we know if they are finding this glowing blue crystal in other places?"  Ferg thinks for another moment "And the incense doesn't interest them right?  They seemed only and especially interested in the blue crystal?"  Ferg pauses and waits for answers.

Ferg putting two and two together you understand that some items of value were authentically magical (like the blue orb), but some things, like the incense, were not--which is why they weren't taken the second time around. Based on Haldeen's recounting of things (see post 418) this fact might have been a surprise to Madame Moulot and certainly an embarrassment, given her profession!

Hope glows in Effulgyn's expression and his voice trembles. "So, they're raiding magical items... but not necessarily getting violent? Unless someone tries to stop them?" His eyes are everywhere searching for answers as he wonders, 'Would me' brothers put themselves in harm's way?  They're too smart fer that aren't they? There's nothin' of value, magically speaking, on Nimblewynde farm anymore, now that I've the family spellbook in my possession... is there?'

"That's what I've heard, yes." Haldeen says. She listens for a moment. "Madame will be ending her class soon. You can tell by the chanting." And as you listen, you can indeed hear the sounds of some faint rhythmic chanting coming from the wall to the right of the room. 

“Umm,” Effulgyn asks, “class?”

Haldeen giggles for the first time since leaving the restaurant. 

"She teaches people divination through different channels. These days it's mostly been cards but recently she's saying she's been seeing things in the clouds? I'm sure I don't know! But you know what? Since the raids, business has never been better. Could you believe it?" 

The chanting has ended and you can hear the sounds of movement. A door opens, louder voices are heard from the door of the room you're in, ostensibly from the large room you came in from. The tone is light and cheerful--you realize you haven't heard this kind of carefree banter since leaving Merchant's Mile (which might seem forever ago.) 

Effulgyn's demeanor is rather morbid compared to that of the students passing through. He looks to Haldeen, clears his throat, and enters the next room.

Arc follows.

Effulgyn and Arc return back to the main room to see a very tall, heavily cloaked figure standing at the painted door in a gesture of farewell to some folks who are now descending the wooden stair you not long ago came up. Her voice is deep and gruff, but warm and kind. After a second or two watching her guests descend, she turns and sees you.

She is obviously surprised to see you two standing there-but composes herself remarkably (and dramatically) well. 

"Ah, we have visitors!" she says with a flourish of her arms, sending the thick navy blue velvet of her robe cascading around her. Her hood moves a little away from her face, revealing a well-lined, heavily made-up face with deep, dark khol lining dazzling blue eyes, and bright red paint over large, lush lips. Her features, when taken in one at a time, might be beautiful--perfect, even. But together they form a face that feels a little hard on the eyes, like a little too much. 

Effulgyn approaches her and, his voice still strained, asks, very quietly, “Hello ma’am,, I…” then, imagining what a pathetic picture he made at the moment, h clears his throat and stands tall, and speaks, at first, in a firm, though tremulous, tenor, but the sound diminishes word by word, until at the end, it is a husky whisper once more.

“Madam, I am from the Nimblewynde Farm, to the west. A rumor I have recently heard says that me farm might have been raided. And… I fear fer me family. Do you… can you, with your… insights… tell me if ‘tis true or false?” 

Ferg follows and listens.  So many people to learn about he isn't sure who to trust but wants to know what Effulgyn will learn and, maybe more importantly, what Effulgyn will do.

Madame Moulot regards you,  Effulgyn, for a long time, seeming to assess you. She looks into your eyes, searches your face, leaning down in order to do so. It feels intrusive, to be seen by these oddly perfect blue eyes, to be perceived in such a way. You can't think of another time you have felt so exposed, and that is counting the time you spent under that massive Eye in ID's office!

Her expression is one of searching--she is looking for clues, maybe, or maybe the seeing has already begun. But then she softens. 

"Your colour is peach," she says finally. "Not quite fiery like a red, but not quite as soft as a yellow. No, you are indeed a peach--you posses a power but a softness. I will help you. Come with me! Let's see what the cards have to say."

With a very dramatic sweep of her cloak, she turns and leads you to the second door, the one at the other side of the entrance, where Ferg is standing and listening. "Well come now! Unless Master Effulgyn wishes to keep his secrets to himself, please join."  

And with that, she leads you all into a smaller room, painted purple with golden stars along the ceiling and down the walls. 

(OOC Haldeen will take this cue to lead Ash, Fin and Ferg into the room behind Effulgyn and Arc. If you wish not to do so please let me know). 

Also OOC Effulgyn, Madame Moulot is going to ask you to pull some cards--when you get a chance can you please roll a D100 x3? 

Effulgyn warily accepts Madame Moulot's prying eyes, and meets them calmly, also searching hers. Does she give the impression at all that she is trying to hide something? Is she for real? (Insight: 22)

"Peach?," the halfling repeats after her, brow slowly arcing up in mild surprise. When Moulot sweeps her cloak, a corner of its flaps completely over Effulgyn's head as she turns away, just as he was raising a finger to ask if 'Peach' was bad or good. On the farm there was one peach tree, and the word automatically brought to mind the peach pies his mami used to make in late summer, always for second breakfast. That was a long time ago, now she's gone. He wasn't going to let goblin raiders rob him of his brothers too.

He looks over his shoulder, nodding to Ferg, Arc, and Fin, his eyes pleading for them to follow, then follows Moulot.

Taking in his surroundings in the next room, Effulgyn does what Madam Moulot bids him to do, hoping that she will tell him what he wants to hear, and somehow, be able to prove it is so.

Cards: 92, 57, 52

Arc follows along thinking to himself, peach is nice. 

Ferg is transfixed by Madame Moulot's intensity and the change in behavior is so sudden that she almost runs into him as she agrees to give a reading to Effulgyn.  He follows almost in a trance as they move to the new room

Cards: 7, 84, 57

Upon entering the room you finally see the source of the strong incense-like smell that you first noticed. Smoke glides out like a glacier gentle in the water, permeating your lungs and eyes once again. The stuff smells almost like the incense you are used to in The Commons but...not quite. There is something more acrid, that feels more harsh going in. You cough and sputter, trying to get your senses about you. 

Eventually your eyes adjust. There is a round table in the center of this small dark room, illuminated at present by a few candles placed on more shelving on all four sides, and glowing wanly as though competing with, and losing against, the incense. A smallish candelabra stands on the table, illuminating Madame Moulot's hands as she shuffles a large deck of cards with long, thick fingers. The hood of her cloak is still on, and you cannot see her face.

She gestures you to sit before her and once you manage to get up on the chair, she cuts the deck into three sections.

"Take these cards, one section at a time,  into your hands and think deeply on what you would like the spirits to show you," she says, her deep gruff voice taking an almost soothing tone. You do as you're told with the first deck. "Shuffle them if you like," she coaxes. "Remove one and hand it to me, face down." You oblige, removing one card from the deck and sliding it over to her. She places it to her left, still face down, and beckons to the middle deck. You take a card after a while, slide it face down, and then repeat the process with the third and final deck. 

Once the final card has been placed to her right, Madame Moulot straightens into her chair, shoulders back, a grave look upon her face. She looks at each person standing around the table, one at a time, and you get the impression that this is part of her act, something she has done countless times before.  But, from your perspective (insight roll of 6 from post #437) she seems not so different than other divination folks you have ever seen in action, though your experience in these things may be limited. 

After a sufficient amount of suspense has been built, she reveals the first card. 

"Ah, interesting." Madame Moulot murmurs. "The Chariot. This is a card meant to represent you and your journey. You see how there are two mounts here?" she uses one long finger to point at the two sphinx creatures seated at the the head of the chariot itself. "They represent duality--your heart and your mind perhaps. Or, perhaps the journey itself will present a fork in the road, literal or metaphorical. But behold! The journeyman holds no rein, for the chariot will run its course through your will, and to your destiny. You cannot choose incorrectly: the path ahead has been chosen for you. You need only decide to start."

Your reading will come after Effulgyn's :)